Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Here I am waiting in the exam room when I heard the heavy door from the back of the clinic open ... that means my prosthetics team is on the way. In walks my CP with a piece of art even the great inventor Michelangelo would be jealous of. This work of art, from the bottom up, consists of a Freedom Innovation Renegade foot (size 27cm) attached to a 4.75 inch titanium post. Above the post is a quick-connect Ferrel coupler which has been joined to the sweetest socket ever presented to an amputee. Three layers of carbon-fibre lower and two layers upper, all covered with a beautiful cotton blend material inked with vintage autos and license plates. To top it off, my "Tis Gar Plen" logo is on the side, displayed proudly within an ichthus (christian fish) symbol. It even has the "new leg" smell (carbon fibre & resin)

OK, it looks great, but how does it feel? Time to don the new liner and leg. Both are on, but something is wrong. It feels too good ... yeah, too good. No pressure points, it's not loose, it fits/feels great!

Time to walk. The clinic has decent length halls, so we start there. First few steps are good, alignment feels great. Slight dead-spot at initial load of the foot, but even high-dollar sports cars have some minor adjustment needs initially. After a trip down the hall and back, I decide to put some more "pep in my step" and walk like the retirees at a mall. Still good. Time to jog. After a smooth jog down the hall, I sprint back to my CP, not top speed, but quick enough.

There are smiles on everyone's faces. They see a 40 year old, 6'4" 225 lb (ok, 230) man acting like a 16 year old kid who was just handed the keys to a souped-up GTO. I start getting cocky and think a cart-wheel sounds good right about now, so off I go down the hall. I do the little stutter step prior to the manuever and then do a (n almost) perfect cart wheel. Jaws are dropping all over the place!

Cockiness gets the best of me, so off I run back toward my cp. Halfway down the hall I do a round-over handspring followed up by a perfect sumersault in the pike position. I am just about to stick the landing and...

buzzzzzzzzz sounds my alarm clock, letting me know it is time to wake up. Today is the day I get my new leg! (deja vu)
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About Me

I am an ex-cop turned geek - which explains why I never have my back to the door and always keep one eye on the computer. I work for Oklahoma State University and am one of the primary "Go To" guys in the IT department (that is a couple of blog posts worth of info in itself). My official title is Manager of Special Projects, but that doesn't slow down the assignments given to me. At times, I feel like my title should be Manager of ODAA (Other Duties As Assigned)!